intouchSouth Western Housing Society

Tenant NewsletterAutumn/Winter 2017

South Western Housing Society

creating neighbourhoods &

communities

Catherine Davies – Gallagher Finance DirectorCatherine joined the Society as the new FD in September, Catherine is a qualified accountant (CIMA) and has an MBA from the University of Strathclyde. She has worked in defence, telecoms, investment banking, IT outsourcing, and the not-for-profit sectors, managing activities which range from large scale transaction processing through to financial planning & analysis, financial control and commercial functions.

HELLO TO CATHERINE

South Western Housing Society - Newsletter December 2017

TOP 5 PAINTING TIPSThe internal decoration of your home is your responsibility and we would suggest that you decorate about every 5 years to maintain it in good order. We have listed 5 painting tips below which will help you the next time you think it’s time to freshen up your home.

1. Clear the Room Painting a room when it is full of furniture and possessions makes it difficult. Clear the room as much as you can so that you have plenty of working space. Use dust sheets to protect anything that has to stay in the room.

2. Preparation is Key Wash down surfaces if they are dirty, otherwise the paint will not adhere properly. Rub down woodwork so that it is smooth – no amount of painting is going to hide rough surfaces.

3. Stains Some marks and stains will ‘bleed’ through water based paints like emulsion. Stubborn marks can be treated with a stain block so they do not ruin your work. If there are only one or two stains, a coat of oil based undercoat will do the job and save you some cash.

4. Brush Quality Good quality brushes make a difference, cheap brushes will leave more brush marks in your paint, make it difficult to spread the paint evenly and will likely shed bristles. Flick the bristles vigorously to remove dust and loose hairs before using a new brush.

5. Masking Tape You can use masking tape to get a neat line between the wall and; the ceiling, the skirting, door frames and window frames. Make sure you push the edge of the tape down where it meets the wall and you will get a very neat finish. Let the paint dry before taking it off.

Happy decorating!

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COMMUNITY FUND PROJECTS

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South Western Housing Society - Newsletter December 2017

Stafford Court

The Society presented a cheque for £200 to the Stafford Court Community Fund to support their garden group. The monies will be used to purchase two raised planter boxes plus two boxes of compost.

Hazel Rogers said “I am very pleased to accept this cheque on behalf of the residents; purchasing the raised planters will enable those of us who are finding it harder to bend and keep the borders trimmed still able to contribute to keeping our scheme bright and colourful”

Picture Attached with (left to right) Eddie Fullalove, Ann Howrihane , Hazel Rogers and Steve Austen (Housing Officer)

Lympsham Village Shop

The Society presented a community cheque to Lympsham Village Shop on 28th September 2017 towards the repair of the air conditioning unit. Our cheque was presented by Neil Buckland (Asset Manager) to Mikhael Comerford (Sub Postmistress and Shop Manager) in the presence of other staff of the Society, representatives of Lympsham Village Shop Committee and some customers. For many years, the Society has made various grant payments to the shop as part of contributing to local communities in which we have affordable housing.

Toni NashBusiness ApprenticeThe Society is pleased to welcome Toni Nash to the team. Toni is our Business Apprentice and is looking forward to learning and helping with the many and varied tasks in the office. During her apprenticeship Toni, 18, will be studying with Bridgwater College to achieve a recognised NVQ in Administration.

MEET OUR APPRENTICE

Stafford Court tenants accept their cheque.

SWHS support the local shop.

South Western Housing Society - Newsletter December 2017

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SIMPLE ELECTRICAL VISUAL CHECKS TO YOUR HOME

We have listed below some simple electrical visual checks to your home that we would recommend you should undertake on a regular basis and especially around this time of year.

If you have any questions please contact our Business Support Assistants on 01934 750780.

Check that your fuse-box RCD switches are in good working order

Make sure that your plug sockets are not overloaded

Ensure that plugs and sockets are not damaged

Check that visible cables and leads are in good condition

Check that your light fittings are not visibly damaged and that down-lighters are in good working condition

Check that you are not storing combustible materials around your fuse-box, electricity meter

Don’t use the top of the microwave for extra storage

Never trail cables under carpets or rugs

Never take mains-powered electrical items into the bathroom

Always switch off your electrical items when they are not in use

RECEIVE YOUR NEWSLETTER ONLINEEarly next year we shall stop routinely sending out Intouch by post and encourage people to view it online instead. This will mean we can make a great saving and reduce the usage of paper.This changeover will happen over the next year in two phases;

Phase 1If you would like to view Intouch via an e mail hyperlink from now on, please e mail customerservices@swhs.org.uk with your full name and address, we will then add you to our data base and stop sending you a paper copy right away.

Phase 2 Starting with the Spring / Summer 2018 issue we will provide the newsletter online only. This can be viewed on our website or we can send you the hyperlink for you to just click onto. We will be happy to send out a printed copy to those who specifically request one.

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South Western Housing Society - Newsletter December 2017

NHF RURAL HOUSING WEEK 2017

South Western Housing Society held a series of events across the South West to highlight rural housing within the region. Rural Housing Week demonstrates that new housing is needed in rural areas, and that building more affordable housing in small towns, villages and the countryside is essential for the continuing vitality of rural communities.

The aim of the week was to highlight rural housing issues and to showcase housing associations innovative solutions for tackling them, supporting rural communities through providing affordable housing. This was an excellent opportunity for SWHS to shine a spotlight on successful developments that offer a lifeline to local people in our market towns and villages, and to reinforce the message that housing is vital for the survival of rural communities and services.

SWHS promoted Rural Housing Week with a number of presentations to local communities in locations where we have properties and our tenants are very involved in local activities.

As Part of National Housing Federation Rural Housing Week, Steve Austen - South Western Housing Society Housing Officer made a presentation to Pauline Kemp, Silverton Pre-school manager, Gina Barrons, Deputy Manager and Kelly Kemp, Pre- School Assistant for £250.00 to help towards new equipment for the school.

As Part of National Housing Federation Rural Housing Week Jo Rimmer - South Western Housing Society Housing Officer made a presentation to James Geen who is the Headmaster of Cotford St Luke Primary School near Taunton for £250.00 to help towards the Cotford St Luke Community Space Project to develop eco awareness and equipment for gardening and electrical connections to provide light in the community.

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RENT PAYMENTS DURING THE CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR PERIOD

South Western Housing Society - Newsletter December 2017

Christmas is fast approaching and we know that there can be a great deal of pressure to spend a lot on presents and entertaining over Christmas and New Year; however, rent payments must still be paid before, during and after the festive period.

South Western Housing Society wants to make sure that you are able to enjoy Christmas without having to worry about money problems so here are some sensible steps you can take to ensure that this Christmas you stay out of debt:

• Make sure all your priority bills are being paid – including rent, gas, electricity, water and council tax. It is a condition of your tenancy that your rent is paid in advance and in full at all times.

• Decide how much you can afford to spend at Christmas in advance and stick to it – you will still then be able to make payments on essential bills such as rent.

• If you are in debt and want general advice on your debt then you can contact one of these organisations:

National Debt Line on: 0808 808 4000 or at: www.nationaldebtline.co.ukMoney Advice Service on: 0300 500 5000 or at: www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk

Step Change on: 0800 138 1111 or at: www.stepchange.orgYour Local Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) or at: www.citizensadvice.org.ukThe Money Charity on: 020 7062 8933 or at: www.themoneycharity.org.uk

If you wish to discuss your rent account in more detail please phone your Housing Officer on 01934 750780.

The Society has reviewed and updated the Tenant handbook, which is available to view on the South Western Housing Society website https://www.swhs.org.uk/tenants/useful-information

As well as making the handbook clearer to read updates have been made to the following sections:

Customer Involvement

Useful Contact Numbers

Complaints and Feedback

If you would like a hard copy of the handbook please request this by calling customer services on 01934 750780 or emailing customerservices@swhs.org.uk

UPDATED TENANTS HANDBOOK

TENANTSHANDBOOK

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SOUTH WESTERN HOUSING SOCIETY CONFERENCE 2017

South Western Housing Society - Newsletter December 2017

South Western Housing Society held its conference on the 31st October 2017 at the Canalside Conference centre in Bridgwater.

The conference commenced with the Vice Chair and CEO of SWHS giving a presentation detailing what the Society has achieved during 2017 and what the future holds.

This was followed by a panel of experts within the social housing sector giving their views and answering questions on the topic of “Building Affordable Homes in the 21st Century” which was a very informative session.

Martin Hodgson the CEO of the Somerset Coast YMCA gave a talk on Housing and Supporting Young People and was assisted by one young person who had been through this process and spoke very highly of the help and support she had received. This presentation was very well received and very thought provoking.

The last item was the Strategic Housing Managers of Sedgemoor District Council, Mid Devon District Council and Taunton Deane Borough Council giving a joint presentation from a Local Authority view point of working with a Housing Association. They were all very complementary of South Western Housing Society and our recent new developments which have gone some way to help house local people in the South West which was very pleasing to hear.

The closing address for a very successful day was given by the Vice Chair and CEO of SWHS and followed by lunch and networking.

The event was very well attended and included 20 SWHS tenants. Another will be held again in 2019.

“South Western Housing Society is a passionate, committed and focussed organisation working to common aims and a similar ethos as Sedgemoor District Council who we have worked with for a long time and aim to for many years into the future”

Duncan Harvey

Affordable Housing Policy & Development Manager at Sedgemoor District Council

SAFE WINTER DRIVINGDriving in the winter is very different than in other times of the year. Adverse weather and longer periods of darkness (especially after the clocks go back at the end of October) makes driving more hazardous. Sometimes conditions can be extreme, as we have found out over recent winters, with prolonged periods of heavy snow and floods.

Different weather conditions create different hazards throughout the winter and in different areas of the country at different times. A single journey may take us into very different weather, road and traffic conditions, so we need to be prepared for each one. This means that we need to adapt the way we drive to the conditions.

Most of us have very little experience of driving in extreme conditions, such as snow, so take some time to consider how it affects your driving. Don’t just drive as normal.

In very bad conditions, avoid driving completely, unless you absolutely have to make the journey and driving is the only option.

Prepare your vehicleIt’s a good idea to have your vehicle fully serviced before winter starts and have the anti-freeze tested. If you can’t have it serviced, then do your own checks. In particular, check:

• Lights are clean and working.

• Battery is fully charged.

• Windscreen, wiper blades and other windows are clean and the washer bottle filled with screen wash.• Tyre condition, tread depth and pressure (of all the tyres, including the spare).

• Brakes are working well.

• Fluids are kept topped up, especially windscreen wash (to the correct concentration to prevent it freezing), anti-freeze and oil.

CHRISTMAS OFFICE OPENING HOURS IMPORTANT – OFFICE OPENING TIMES DURING CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR

Friday 22nd December 2017 OPEN

Monday 25th December 2017 CLOSED

Tuesday 26th December 2017 CLOSED

Wednesday 27th December 2017 CLOSED

Thursday 28th December 2017 CLOSED

Friday 29th December 2017 CLOSED

Monday 1st January 2018 CLOSED

NORMAL OFFICE HOURS 9AM – 5PM RESUME ON TUESDAY 2nd JANUARY 2018

If you have a maintenance emergency whilst the office is closed please use the out of hours telephone numbers (see below). Please remember, if your call is deemed not to be an emergency you will be

charged for any callout that you request.

For all types of heating and hot water, telephone Gregor Heating on:07788 917 044

For all other emergency repairs, telephone Dale Contractors on:08456 033 666